U.S. Department of Education funding will enhance existing study, fortify curriculum and recruitment for engineering students in modeling/simulation program.

CLEVELAND, OH (February 3, 2023) – The U.S. Department of Education has awarded Yong Tao, Ph.D., the Betty L. Gordon Endowed Professor and Chair of the Cleveland State University Washkewicz College of Engineering, a $1,009,852 grant through the Modeling and Simulation Program (MSP) to develop new courses, fortify curriculum and enhance student success in the job market for engineering graduates.

Dr. Tao’s proposal, “Developing Modeling and Simulation-Based Multidisciplinary Learning Environment for Urban Universities,” will be executed in a partnership between the Departments of Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, and Teacher Education to develop a new graduate concentration of Modeling and Simulation in Sustainable Energy Systems (MS-SES).

“Engineering students will benefit from completing a degree with an MS-SES concentration in multiple ways,” said Dr. Tao. “They will be able to demonstrate their specialized academic achievements among their peers, their decision-making abilities, and research competence in their field of study.”

The hope is for CSU students to gain expertise that allows them to contribute to new technology innovation and deployment towards a sustainable future that does not exist today.

“For example, industries are always facing new challenges and open-ended questions that need efficient turn-around time. Those challenges cannot be addressed using traditional knowledge bases and experimental approaches,” offered Dr. Tao.

The goal of the project is to develop new courses and enhance an existing project courses to align with the MS-SES concentration, deliver a flexible curriculum that demonstrates best practices for an MSP program in a student-centered environment—which will allow recruitment of a diverse student body that enhance their career successes in the field.

“Most importantly, having a graduate degree with a modeling and simulation concentration will unlock career opportunities in a range of industries from manufacturing to healthcare, as well as federal and state governments, where mechanical engineering graduates are needed.”

About Cleveland State University

Founded in 1964, Cleveland State University is a public research institution that provides a dynamic setting for Engaged Learning. With 17,000-plus students, ten colleges and schools and more than 175 academic programs, CSU was again chosen as one of America’s best universities by U.S. News & World Report. Find more information at www.CSUOhio.edu.

About the Washkewicz College of Engineering

Washkewicz College of Engineering offers graduate and undergraduate program. The undergraduate programs are accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET, http://www.abet.org). To learn more about the College, please visit engineering.CSUOhio.edu.

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